Effect of nanosilica on the hydrological properties of loess and the microscopic mechanism.

Loess areas, such as the Loess Plateau, are characterized by a fragile ecological environment, high soil erosion, and frequent geological disasters due to the unique hydrological properties of loess (e.g., collapsibility and permeability). Therefore, the loess must be stabilized for use in engineering construction. Traditional stabilizers (lime, cement, and fly ash) cause environmental problems, such as soil salinization and greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of nanosilica on the hydrological properties of loess and the microscopic mechanism. Different nanosilica contents (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1%, and 3%) were added to loess sample, and the particle size distribution, Atterberg limits, collapsibility, and soil water characteristics were analyzed. The results revealed the following. The addition of nanosilica changed the particle size distribution, liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of loess. After the addition of nanosilica with different contents, the loess collapsibility coefficient curve shifted downward, the soil water retention curve shifted upward, and the unsaturated permeability coefficient curve shifted downward. The pores between particles were filled, and the number of large and medium pores and the pore connectivity were lower after the nanosilica addition. The surface of the coarse particles adsorbed more fine particles, and a large number of micro-aggregates or clay aggregates were present in the pores between particles. In conclusion, the environmentally friendly material nanosilica can be used to improve the hydrological properties of loess, which is applicable to alleviating soil erosion and preventing geological disasters on the Loess Plateau.

Strong chiroptical nonlinearity in coherently stacked boron nitride nanotubes.

Nanomaterials with a large chiroptical response and high structural stability are desirable for advanced miniaturized optical and optoelectronic applications. One-dimensional (1D) nanotubes are robust crystals with inherent and continuously tunable chiral geometries. However, their chiroptical response is typically weak and hard to control, due to the diverse structures of the coaxial tubes. Here we demonstrate that as-grown multiwalled boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs), featuring coherent-stacking structures including near monochirality, homo-handedness and unipolarity among the component tubes, exhibit a scalable nonlinear chiroptical response. This intrinsic architecture produces a strong nonlinear optical response in individual multiwalled BNNTs, enabling second-harmonic generation (SHG) with a conversion efficiency up to 0.01% and output power at the microwatt level-both excellent figures of merit in the 1D nanomaterials family. We further show that the rich chirality of the nanotubes introduces a controllable nonlinear geometric phase, producing a chirality-dependent SHG circular dichroism with values of -0.7 to +0.7. We envision that our 1D chiral platform will enable novel functions in compact nonlinear light sources and modulators.

Low Temperature Synthesis of 2D p-Type α-In2 Te3 with Fast and Broadband Photodetection.

2D A 2 III B 3 VI ${\mathrm{A}}_2^{{\mathrm{III}}}{\mathrm{B}}_3^{{\mathrm{VI}}}$ compounds (A = Al, Ga, In, and B = S, Se, and Te) with intrinsic structural defects offer significant opportunities for high-performance and functional devices. However, obtaining 2D atomic-thin nanoplates with non-layered structure on SiO2 /Si substrate at low temperatures is rare, which hinders the study of their properties and applications at atomic-thin thickness limits. In this study, the synthesis of ultrathin, non-layered α-In2 Te3  nanoplates is demonstrated using a BiOCl-assisted chemical vapor deposition method at a temperature below 350 °C on SiO2 /Si substrate. Comprehensive characterization results confirm the high-quality single crystal is the low-temperature cubic phase α-In2 Te3 , possessing a noncentrosymmetric defected ZnS structure with good second harmonic generation. Moreover, α-In2 Te3 is revealed to be a p-type semiconductor with a direct and narrow bandgap value of 0.76 eV. The field effect transistor exhibits a high mobility of 18 cm2 V-1  s-1 , and the photodetector demonstrates stable photoswitching behavior within a broadband photoresponse from 405 to 1064 nm, with a satisfactory response time of τrise = 1 ms. Notably, the α-In2 Te3 nanoplates exhibit good stability against ambient environments. Together, these findings establish α-In2 Te3 nanoplates as promising candidates for next-generation high-performance photonics and electronics.

Wavelength-Controlled Photoconductance Polarity Switching via Harnessing Defects in Doped PdSe2 for Artificial Synaptic Features.

Optoelectronic synapses are currently drawing significant attention as fundamental building blocks of neuromorphic computing to mimic brain functions. In this study, a two-terminal synaptic device based on a doped PdSe2 flake is proposed to imitate the key neural functions in an optical pathway. Due to the wavelength-dependent desorption of oxygen clusters near the intrinsic selenide vacancy defects, the doped PdSe2 photodetector achieves a high negative photoresponsivity of -7.8 × 103 A W-1 at 473 nm and a positive photoresponsivity of 181 A W-1 at 1064 nm. This wavelength-selective bi-direction photoresponse endows an all-optical pathway to imitate the fundamental functions of artificial synapses on a device level, such as psychological learning and forgetting capability, as well as dynamic logic functions. The underpinning photoresponse is further demonstrated on a flexible platform, providing a viable technology for neuromorphic computing in wearable electronics. Furthermore, the p-type doping results in an effective increase of the channel's electrical conductivity and a significant reduction in power consumption. Such low-power-consuming optical synapses with simple device architecture and low-dimensional features demonstrate tremendous promise for building multifunctional artificial neuromorphic systems in the future.

Universal epitaxy of non-centrosymmetric two-dimensional single-crystal metal dichalcogenides.

The great challenge for the growth of non-centrosymmetric 2D single crystals is to break the equivalence of antiparallel grains. Even though this pursuit has been partially achieved in boron nitride and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) growth, the key factors that determine the epitaxy of non-centrosymmetric 2D single crystals are still unclear. Here we report a universal methodology for the epitaxy of non-centrosymmetric 2D metal dichalcogenides enabled by accurate time sequence control of the simultaneous formation of grain nuclei and substrate steps. With this methodology, we have demonstrated the epitaxy of unidirectionally aligned MoS2 grains on a, c, m, n, r and v plane Al2O3 as well as MgO and TiO2 substrates. This approach is also applicable to many TMDs, such as WS2, NbS2, MoSe2, WSe2 and NbSe2. This study reveals a robust mechanism for the growth of various 2D single crystals and thus paves the way for their potential applications.

Dynamic computer-generated moiré profilometry based on high-density binary coding.

A dynamic computer-generated moiré profilometry based on high-density binary coding is proposed. For making full use of the maximum refresh rate and the maximum resolution of the digital light projector (DLP), the binary coded fringe is used to replace the conventional 256-gray-scale sinusoidal fringe, which can increase the refresh rate from the traditional 120 Hz to more than 1 kHz and meet the needs of dynamic measurement from the source. To realize the minimum equivalent wavelength and obtain the purest calculated moiré fringe, a minimum four-pixel period high-density binary fringe that satisfies the sampling theorem is designed for the DLP. The measuring accuracy of computer-generated moiré profilometry is effectively improved due to its minimum equivalent wavelength. The experimental results show the feasibility and practicability of the proposed method. It not only possesses higher measuring accuracy, but also possesses a proper potential application in dynamic three-dimensional measurement.

General low-temperature growth of two-dimensional nanosheets from layered and nonlayered materials.

Most of the current methods for the synthesis of two-dimensional materials (2DMs) require temperatures not compatible with traditional back-end-of-line (BEOL) processes in semiconductor industry (450 °C). Here, we report a general BiOCl-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach for the low-temperature synthesis of 27 ultrathin 2DMs. In particular, by mixing BiOCl with selected metal powders to produce volatile intermediates, we show that ultrathin 2DMs can be produced at 280-500 °C, which are ~200-300 °C lower than the temperatures required for salt-assisted CVD processes. In-depth characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal the low-temperature processes promoting 2D growth and the oxygen-inhibited synthetic mechanism ensuring the formation of ultrathin nonlayered 2DMs. We demonstrate that the resulting 2DMs exhibit electrical, magnetic and optoelectronic properties comparable to those of 2DMs grown at much higher temperatures. The general low-temperature preparation of ultrathin 2DMs defines a rich material platform for exploring exotic physics and facile BEOL integration in semiconductor industry.

Low symmetric sub-wavelength array enhanced lensless polarization-sensitivity photodetector of germanium selenium.

Polarization-sensitive photodetectors, with the ability of identifying the texture-, stress-, and roughness-induced light polarization state variation, displace unique advantages in the fields of national security, medical diagnosis, and aerospace. The utilization of in-plane anisotropic two-dimensional (2D) materials has led the polarization photodetector into a polarizer-free regime, and facilitated the miniaturization of optoelectronic device integration. However, the insufficient polarization ratio (usually less than 10) restricts the detection resolution of polarized signals. Here, we designed a sub-wavelength array (SWA) structure of 2D germanium selenium (GeSe) to further improve its anisotropic sensitivity, which boosts the polarized photocurrent ratio from 1.6 to 18. This enhancement comes from the combination of nano-scale arrays with atomic-scale lattice arrangement at the low-symmetric direction, while the polarization-sensitive photoresponse along the high-symmetric direction is strongly suppressed due to the SWA-caused depolarization effect. Our mechanism study revealed that the SWA can improve the asymmetry of charge distribution, attenuate the matrix element in zigzag direction, and the localized surface plasma, which elevates the photo absorption and photoelectric transition probability along the armchair direction, therefore accounts for the enhanced polarization sensitivity. In addition, the photodetector based on GeSe SWA exhibited a broad power range of 40 dB at a near-infrared wavelength of 808 nm and the ability of weak-light detection under 0.1 LUX of white light (two orders of magnitude smaller than pristine 2D GeSe). This work provides a feasible guideline to improve the polarization sensitivity of 2D materials, and will greatly benefit the development of polarized imaging sensors.

Positive association of serum FUT8 activity with renal tubulointerstitial injury in IgA nephropathy patients.

BACKGROUND: α-1,6 Fucosyltransferase (FUT8) appears to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis. However, it remained unknown whether FUT8 also contributed to renal fibrosis in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). In the present study, we explored the association of serum FUT8 activity with renal tubulointerstitial injury in IgAN patients. METHODS: Serum FUT8 activity was measured in 135 IgAN patients and 68 healthy controls from January 2016 to December 2018. The relationships of serum FUT8 activity with clinical and pathological features were analyzed. RESULTS: Relative to healthy controls, IgAN patients had significantly higher serum FUT8 activity and upregulation of renal FUT8 protein (p < .05). Among IgAN patients, there was a positive correlation of serum FUT8 activity with renal FUT8 protein expression (p < .05). Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that serum FUT8 activity was significantly associated with serum creatinine and eGFR (p < .05). Based on a cut-off value determined from ROC curve analysis, we divided IgAN patients into a low serum FUT8 activity group (≤12.2 pmol/h/mL, n = 40) and a high serum FUT8 activity group (>12.2 pmol/h/ml, n = 95). The high serum FUT8 activity group had a higher Oxford T score, increased inflammatory cell infiltration, more severe fibrosis and poor renal function (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Serum FUT8 activity was positive association with renal tubulointerstitial injury in IgAN patients.

Indoor MIMO-VLC Using Angle Diversity Transmitters.

In this paper, we, for the first time, apply angle diversity transmitters (ADTs) to enhance the performance of multiple-input multiple-output visible light communication (MIMO-VLC) systems. The ADT is designed to consist of one center light emitting diode (LED) and multiple inclined side LEDs. We calculate the line-of-sight (LOS) channel gain of the MIMO-VLC system using ADTs and further derive the average achievable rate of the system. We show that the average achievable rate is related to both the inclination angle of the side LEDs and the spacing between two adjacent ADTs in the MIMO-VLC system. Simulations are conducted to verify that the average achievable rate of the ADT-enhanced MIMO-VLC system can be maximized by setting the optimal inclination angle of the side LEDs and the optimal spacing between adjacent ADTs. The obtained results further show that the average achievable rate of the ADT-enhanced MIMO-VLC system can be greatly improved when there are more LEDs in each ADT. Specifically, a substantial 42.9% average achievable rate improvement can be achieved by using the optimized ADT in comparison to using a conventional non-angle diversity transmitter.

Study on mechanism of improving efficiency of permanent-magnet small ball-end magnetorheological polishing by increasing magnetorheological fluid temperature.

Permanent-magnet small ball-end magnetorheological polishing method can be used to polish the small part with complex structure. However, the material removal rate of this method is low, which is difficult to improve the output and reduce the cost. In this research, the effect of magnetorheological fluid temperature on the material removal rate is theoretically analyzed by measuring the effect of temperature on the flow properties of magnetorheological fluid, establishing the hydrodynamic model of polishing zone and solving the material removal parameters. It is found that with the increase of the magnetorheological fluid temperature, the polishing relative velocity increases accordingly, which can promote the improvement of material removal rate. But the shear stress decreases accordingly, which inhibits the improvement of material removal rate. The verification experiment results show that the promoting effect can exceeds the inhibitory effect, so that the material removal rate increases with the increase of magnetorheological fluid temperature. When the magnetorheological fluid temperature increases to 60 °C, the material removal rate is improved by 108.4% and the polished surface roughness Sa can reach 14.9 nm. Therefore, increasing the magnetorheological fluid temperature can significantly improve the efficiency of permanent-magnet small ball-end magnetorheological polishing and obtain high quality polished surface.

Controlled Synthesis of Ultrathin PtSe2 Nanosheets with Thickness-Tunable Electrical and Magnetoelectrical Properties.

Thickness-dependent chemical and physical properties have gained tremendous interest since the emergence of two-dimensional (2D) materials. Despite attractive prospects, the thickness-controlled synthesis of ultrathin nanosheets remains an outstanding challenge. Here, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) route is reported to controllably synthesize high-quality PtSe2 nanosheets with tunable thickness and explore their thickness-dependent electronic and magnetotransport properties. Raman spectroscopic studies demonstrate all Eg , A1 g , A2 u , and Eu modes are red shift in thicker nanosheets. Electrical measurements demonstrate the 1.7 nm thick nanosheet is a semiconductor with room temperature field-effect mobility of 66 cm2 V-1 s-1 and on/off ratio of 106 . The 2.3-3.8 nm thick nanosheets show slightly gated modulation with high field-effect mobility up to 324 cm2 V-1 s-1 at room-temperature. When the thickness is over 3.8 nm, the nanosheets show metallic behavior with conductivity and breakdown current density up to 6.8 × 105 S m-1 and 6.9 × 107 A cm-2 , respectively. Interestingly, magnetoresistance (MR) studies reveal magnetic orders exist in this intrinsically non-magnetic material system, as manifested by the thickness-dependent Kondo effect, where both metal to insulator transition and negative MR appear upon cooling. Together, these studies suggest that PtSe2 is an intriguing system for both developing novel functional electronics and conducting fundamental 2D magnetism study.

Zn/Al/Pb Mixed Oxides as Efficient Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Synthesis of Methyl N-Phenyl Carbamate.

Dimethyl carbonate aminolysis is an effective and green pathway for the synthesis of methyl N-phenyl carbamate (MPC), which is an important intermediate for the synthesis of polyurethanes and many other chemicals. In this work, we demonstrate the fabrication of Zn/Al/Pb mixed oxides as efficient and stable heterogeneous catalysts for MPC synthesis. The catalysts are prepared via facile coprecipitation and subsequent thermal annealing. Their micromorphology and physical-chemical properties are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning TEM (STEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and NH3-TPD. The results show that rather than being doped into ZnO and/or Al2O3, PbO is highly dispersed in the ZnO/Al2O3 base forming ultrafine nanoparticles. Despite the weak interactions within the mixed oxides, the high density of active sites generates outstanding catalytic activity and cycling stability for MPC synthesis, with an aniline conversion of almost 100% and MPC yield of up to 90% during six repeated tests, providing great potential for their further application.

Glucose-mediated template-free synthesis of hollow CuO microspheres.

In this work, we demonstrated a facile template-free method for the preparation of hollow CuO microspheres via a conventional hydrothermal reaction. The hollow architecture formed directly during the hydrothermal treatment of copper nitrate and glucose, without the use of template, precipitant and calcination process. The effects of reaction time, reaction temperature and glucose concentration were investigated in detail. On the basis of experimental results, the formation of hollow CuO microspheres probably proceeded via self-assemble process and the subsequent Ostwald's ripening. This synthetic strategy strongly depended on the characteristics of copper nitrate, which made it could not extend to other copper salts and/or nitrates. Even though, glucose still showed efficient morphology controlling ability with respect to nanosized transitional metal oxides, which could be used for the controllable synthesis of nanomaterials.

Improving the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO for TiO2 hollow spheres through hybridization with a cobalt complex.

A chemical system with enhanced efficiency for electron generation and transfer was constructed by the integration of TiO2 hollow spheres with [Co(bipy)3]2+. The introduction of [Co(bipy)3]2+ remarkably enhances the photocatalytic activity of pristine semiconductor photocatalysts for heterogeneous CO2 conversion, which is attributable to the acceleration of charge separation. Of particular interest is that the excellent photocatalytic activity of the heterogeneous catalysts can be utilised for a universal photocatalytic CO2 reduction system. Yields of 16.8 µmol CO and 6.6 µmol H2 can be obtained after 2 h of the photoredox reaction, and the apparent overall quantum yield was estimated to be 0.66% under irradiation at λ = 365 nm. The present findings clearly demonstrate that the integration of electron mediators with semiconductors is a feasible process for the design and development of efficient photochemical systems for CO2 conversion.

Photoreduction of iron(III) to iron(0) nanoparticles for simultaneous hydrogen evolution in aqueous solution.

Crystalline Fe nanoparticles were obtained with fluorescein (Fl) as the photosensitizer in triethylamine (TEA) or triethanolamine (TEOA) aqueous solution with FeCl3 as the Fe precursor under bright visible-light light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation. Photoinduced electron transfer from excited state Fl* and Fl(-) to Fe(3+) produced the Fe nanoparticles, which served as the active catalyst for in situ photocatalytic hydrogen production with Fl and TEA or TEOA as the photosensitizer and electron donors, respectively, in the same system. Robust hydrogen production activities were observed under the Fe nanoparticle photoreduction conditions in basic solution, and tens of milliliters of hydrogen were obtained over prolonged LED irradiation. If inorganic support materials such as NH2 -MCM-41 or reduced graphene oxide were introduced, dispersed nanoparticles with different sizes and shapes were deposited on the supports, which led to variously enhanced hydrogen production activities. The relationships between the morphologies of the Fe/H2 N-MCM-41 or Fe/graphene composites generated in situ and the hydrogen production activities were investigated systematically.

Photophysical and electrochemical properties of platinum(II) complexes bearing a chromophore-acceptor dyad and their photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

A series of platinum(II) complexes bearing a chromophore-acceptor dyad obtained by reacting 4-(p-bromomethylphenyl)-6-phenyl-2,2'-bipyridine or 4'-(p-bromomethylphenyl)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine with pyridine, 4-phenylpyridine, 4,4'-bipyridine, 1-methyl-4-(pyridin-4'-yl)pyridinium hexafluorophosphate respectively, were synthesized. Their photophysical properties, emission quenching studies by Pt nanoparticles and methyl viologen, electrochemical properties and photoinduced electron-transfer reactions in a photocatalytic hydrogen-generating system containing triethanolamine and colloidal Pt without an extra electron relay, were investigated. A comparison of the rates of hydrogen production for the two photocatalytic systems, one containing a metal-organic dyad and the other comprising a 1:1 mixture of the parental platinum(II) complexes and the corresponding electron relay, showed that intramolecular electron transfer improves the photocatalytic efficiency. Compared with cyclometalated platinum(II) complexes, the related platinum(II) terpyridyl complexes exhibited poor performance for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. An investigation into the amount of hydrogen generated by three platinum(II) complexes containing cyclometalated ligands with methyl groups located on different phenyl rings revealed that the efficiency of hydrogen evolution was affected by a subtle change of functional group on ligand, and the hydrogen-generating efficiency in the presence or absence of methyl viologen is comparable, indicating electron transfer from the excited [Pt(C^N^N)] chromophore to colloidal Pt. (1)H NMR spectroscopy of the metal-organic dyads in an aqueous solution in the presence of excess triethanolamine revealed that the dyad with a viologen unit was unstable, and a chemical reaction in the compound occurred prior to irradiation by visible light under basic conditions.

Using methylprednisolone to supplement direct current electrical field in promoting spinal-cord regeneration.

In order to compensate for the fact that direct current electrical fields could not reduce or correct spinal-cord edema after trauma, methylprednisolone was used 2 hr after spinal-cord injury to promote the efficacy of the direct current electrical field. Thirty-three dogs were randomly divided into three groups and their spinal cords were injured with the Allen method (weight-dropping technique). Group A, a control group; Group B, implantation of an electrical stimulator 6 hr after spinal-cord injury; and Group C, given an injection of a large dose of methylprednisolone 2 hr after injury. Electric stimulators were implanted into the dogs' bodies 6 hr post-injury. The nerve functions, evoked potential cortical somatosensory and three kinds of nerve morphometric changes, were observed 1 to 3 months after injury. The indexes of Groups B and C were much better than Group A (p<0.05). The results in Group C were better than in Group B. Differences were statistically significant. The combination of direct current electrical field and an injection of a large dose of methylpredwisolone could effectively treat spinal cord injury, promoting earlier recovery of nerve function.